Custody Battle Gets Ugly: Man Called Unfit Parent for Saying No to McDonald's

You would expect that most people think denying a child an unhealthy meal is good parenting. But that wasn't the case when a Manhattan father in the middle of a custody battle refused to get his son a Happy Meal. According to the New York Post, a court-appointed psychiatrist told the judge that David Schorr was an unfit parent and that he was "wholly incapable of taking care of his son." Schorr, who is an attorney, is suing the psychiatrist, Marilyn Schiller, for defamation and stated of the incident, "I am just floored by it."

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Apparently Schorr had planned to take the 4-year-old to dinner last week at their usual restaurant, but the boy threw a tantrum, screaming for McDonald's instead. Schorr said he could have dinner anywhere else except McDonald's or have no dinner at all. The classic parenting ultimatum was foiled by the son, who chose the no dinner option. As a result of the debacle, Schiller told the custody judge that Schorr should have his weekend visitations taken away.

Schorr said he regrets his decision now because of the trouble it has caused. "I wish I had taken him to McDonalds, but you get nervous about rewarding bad behavior. I was concerned. I think it was a 1950s equivalent of sending your child to bed without dinner. That's maybe the worst thing you can say about it," he explained.

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